Forty percent of all traffic fatalities are the result of drunk driving. Every 30 minutes someone dies from an alcohol-related traffic accident. And one-third of all people arrested for driving while intoxicated are repeat offenders. It's that last statistic that has spurred Pennsylvania lawmakers, led by State Senator Constance Williams, to reevaluate the state's DUI laws.
As the high number of fatal accidents has actually increased in Pennsylvania -- 5 percent in the last five years -- citizens have become desperate for a new approach, seeking out fresh methods to convince drinkers to think twice before getting behind the wheel. With a bill signed into law by Governor Ed Rendell this fall, the state has realigned its DUI penalties with national standards, then taken a step further. Williams has led that push toward lowering the legal blood-alcohol levels, implementing new technology, and targeting those repeat offenders for whom chilling statistics alone are not sobering enough. "The numbers show Pennsylvania is not doing enough to protect its citizens from drunk drivers," she said. "This bill is long overdue."
Williams initiated the debate in Harrisburg as primary sponsor of two Senate bills. After discussion in committee, work with outside experts, and negotiation with members of the House, the proposals were refined and combined into the single SB 8 that ultimately passed 47-1 in the Senate.
The new law lowers Pennsylvania's blood-alcohol limit from .10 percent to .08 percent, finally bringing the state on par with most of its peers. Currently, only five states still have their limit at .10 percent. The change was required of Pennsylvania in order for it to continue receiving federal highway funds. Twelve million dollars would have been withheld from the state had the bill not passed.
For Williams, however, it didn't make sense to stop at just lowering the limit. The legislation allows for offenders to enter an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program in which arrested drivers are screened for alcohol and drug addiction, and treatment is offered. Offenders who successfully complete that treatment and remain clean may have their fines and jail time waived. (Those caught driving drunk with child-passengers, however, will neither be able to get out of jail time nor have their records cleared.)
The legislation also features a new three-tiered system in which the more inebriated a driver is, the more severe his punishment will be. Thresholds at .08 percent, .10 percent, and .16 percent separate the categories of "general," "high," and "highest" impairment. Low-level first-time offenders may face a small fine, temporary license suspension, and driver safety classes. More extreme and repeat offenders, however, could lose their licenses for 18 months and face a year of jail and $10,000 in fines. The worst offenders would ultimately have their cars equipped with mandated ignition-lock systems that require breath tests to put the car in drive.
Williams hopes the new law will change the way certain previously incorrigible Pennsylvanians think about driving while intoxicated. "It is time we send drunk drivers a message that this is not acceptable," she said.
